Safeguarding against human trafficking in the digital age
Virtual spaces have become more important than ever. Technology is ubiquitous, and the internet is woven into the fabric of our daily lives.
The internet, while a powerful tool for learning and communication, can also be used as a tool for exploitation. The reality is, traffickers will hang out wherever vulnerable people are, whether those places are virtual or physical. Human traffickers have become adept at using online platforms, including social media, chat rooms, online marketplaces, and gaming sites, to identify and recruit potential victims.
Online recruitment for sex and labour trafficking has existed for as long as there’s been widespread access to the internet. It is only becoming more prevalent as technology continues to evolve and play a bigger role in our day-to-day lives. According to a 2020 report by Polaris, reports of recruitment on Facebook increased by 125% over the previous year, and by 95% on Instagram.
Young people are often more willing to freely engage with someone they don’t know online as opposed to a stranger they encounter in-person. Chatting with someone through a screen feels more disconnected and distant, although that doesn’t mean the interaction is safer.
It can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to discussing heavy topics like exploitation and human trafficking. In this blog post we’ll share some online safety tips and additional resources about discussing online safety and exploitation with your children.
Starting the conversation
As soon as a child is old enough to be online or have a phone, they are old enough to learn about online safety. Before you begin this conversation with your children, keep in mind that this is not a one-time talk. It’s crucial to keep lines of communication open and maintain an ongoing discussion about staying safe online with your child. Establishing trust and maintaining open communication channels enable children to feel comfortable sharing their online experiences and seeking help when needed.
The online world is constantly changing. Make it a priority to familiarize yourself with the social media platforms, online games, and other websites or apps that are popular with your kids and their friend groups.
Key tips
Monitor your child’s online activity by following their social media accounts. Be aware that your child may still have additional accounts that you may not know about or follow.
Make sure your child’s accounts are all set to private, not public. Even if their accounts are private, kids may accept friend requests from people they do not know to increase their follower count. Keep an eye on who is following your child on social media and ask them about who is following them. If they don’t know someone or can’t say who it is, have a conversation about why this is dangerous and block the account.
Set age-appropriate parental controls on your child’s phone or device.
Talk to your children about the potential dangers of talking to strangers on the internet. Explain how online grooming and luring can happen, and how to recognize signs of it.
Discuss the importance of avoiding sharing videos and photos with strangers. The internet is a public place, and once something has been put out there, it cannot be fully taken back. Traffickers may use photos and videos to blackmail and maintain control over victims by threatening their distribution.
Explain to your child how easy it is to create a convincing fake profile on social media. Behind that profile could be anyone, including a trafficker or someone with malicious intent.
Build trust with your children and make them feel comfortable coming to you with their concerns. Don’t invade their privacy by sneaking through their phone or social media accounts without their knowledge. If you have a significant concern, ask for their username and password or make them aware that you will be looking through their account before you do so.
Advise your child not to meet up with individuals they have only connected with online without discussing it with you first.
As a parent, be mindful of your own social media use. Traffickers may look for images or information about your children by scrolling through your profiles.
Above all, teach your children to trust their gut. If something feels fishy, there’s likely a good reason that it does. Encourage them to reach out to you or another trusted adult if they come across something that doesn’t feel right.
Additional resources
Topics like trafficking and exploitation can be difficult to broach, but there are resources to support these conversations. The Prevention Project is a collection of resources created by Ally Global Foundation and Exploitation Education Institute. It provides 100% free, light-hearted, age-appropriate content aimed at educating young people about staying safe online. These resources can be used by parents to discuss topics such as online safety, grooming, and exploitation at home with their children, or they can be incorporated into classroom learning by educators.